Break It If You Can
by escelphius
Summary: Driven by obsession, both Sora and Riku have honed their skills to a razor-sharp point. What they don't know is where their skills will take them. Shadows loomed under the surface of their seemingly normal lives. Will they realize the truth in time?
1. The Foundation

**Disclaimer:**I don't own anything. Except for this story's idea. Afterall, it did sprout from my brain.

* * *

Fascination is a common trait amongst humans.

And every once in a while, fascination develops into something more, let's say, _profound_. It is not unusual to see people go from mere liking to obsessing. Whether we deny it or accept it, fact is, every one of us has, at some point in our lives, obsessed over a certain item or idea.

Be it ablutomania, nymphomania, egomania or pyromania—obsession is the drive that pushes humans, the motivation behind the edge of extremity.

In the case of Sora, his particular fascination is that of keys. No, he does not have an uncontrollable compulsion that forces him to stash and collect keys like a rabid squirrel hoarding nuts for winter. Nor does he go around fondling and marveling at every key in his sight.

See, Sora's silent "obsession" is more rooted in the idea of a "key."

Ever since he witnessed his friendly neighborhood foul-mouthed mechanic show him the art of lock-picking, Sora became a child entranced with what "keys" represent. Keys are the solutions to unlocking what's been hidden from the world, perhaps secrets that only a few would know. The process of unlocking became entertainment for the boy, and the secret that lies beneath became the reward. Just thinking about the process puts the child into a state of wild excitement. Under his neighbor's numerous demonstrations and explanations, Sora understood that with skills and knowledge, anything can be a key. But as important as keys are to unlocking secrets buried within, knowing just the concept of the key is not enough. Without the lock, there would be no key. And so, our pouty young boy in question began to devote much of his time in studying the science of machinery. His juvenile attempts consisted of locking himself out of his house, spending hours on end picking and observing the keyhole of his front door. Of course, he did not succeed, and often times had to wait impatiently for one of his parents to come home and unlock the door for him. Never one to surrender, little Sora would open the door half-way and examine the pin tumbler lock in the door. He even went as far as trying to remove the lock and knob from the door itself. His parents, in order to prevent further damage but also wanting to indulge in their child, requested their neighboring mechanic to make little Sora a plastic padlock that could be easily disassembled.

Never would they be able to forsee their son's astonishing ability to open any traditionally-made locks afterwards.

May it be the warded lock of an antique desk left by Sora's grandparents, the wafer tumbler locks of his home, or the tubular pin tumbler locks of his parents' file cabinets, Sora could open them. Call it genius or stroke of luck, once Sora got the basic concept, no lock could keep him away from its content. However, that did not mean that Sora went snooping around everywhere messing with people's stuff. To him, just opening the lock is enough—he touched nothing and took nothing. He'd like to keep whatever was in the box, chest, drawer, or room to his imagination; life's more fun this way (much to the relief of his parents, who piled their years-old manporn and porn magazines in their respective closets, hidden in their respective boxes).

And just like how people grow and change, this little interest of Sora's evolved into something else, something of considerable substance.

His childhood "lock and key" escapade is nothing compared to this, for Sora took "unlocking" to the next level.

It's begun to turn into a puzzle game for him.

Can't watch a certain DVD because the player doesn't recognize the regional code? He'll open the player and "unlock" the hardware. Feel like cheating at a video game? He'll "open" the game and debug it. Want to enter the N18 section of a fansite, but don't know the password? He'll crack it and pave a way for you.

In essence, Sora's moved his interest onto a digital medium.

Over the years, Sora would hone his skills, bit by bit, ever so steadily, towards an end that even he himself cannot fathom.

He would gradually come to be the greatest grey hat hacker the world has laid its eyes on.

* * *

_Hey, have you heard!? _

_Dude, it was insane! 27 minutes and 16 seconds!? I could hardly believe it! _

_Wait, what the hell are you guys talking about? _

_Haven't you heard!? Hollow Bastion's annual _Cimmerian System Inc._'s "program test" just finished two days ago! _The System_ always opens its doors to the public at a certain time in the year and provide the public with a "test." Anyone who can crack their security system with the least amount of time can walk away with four hundred thousand munny! _

_Wasn't that "test" the competition that nobody could beat for three consecutive years? Four hundred thousand munny is a hefty sum too! You're saying there was a winner this year!?_

_Yeah! And he beat it within half an hour! __**Half an hour!**__ Broke into the system just like that! And to top it off, I heard he's quite young! _

Such was the buzz flying around by the time an impressionable young man stepped onto the company grounds of The Cimmerian System Inc. His vibrant, shoulder-length hair swaying lightly as he quickened his pace down the hall. All this gossip and senseless babble would've normally annoyed the silver-haired young man. But _this,_ _this_ was different. Anticipation raced through him, a confident smirk settling onto his features.

Because all this buzz means one thing, and one thing only.

A challenge has finally decided to grace the monotony of his life.

He hasn't felt this animated in so long, he managed to surprise himself with his own excitement.

* * *

Riku could very well be described as a very disciplined young man. Some might even say that's an understatement. But if there's one quality that shows itself clearly from the person known as Riku, it's his cool self-control. There is nothing unprofessional about said man—from his mannerisms and his handling of people, everything he does is smooth, precise and to the point. Yet during certain rare moments, an element of Riku which he kept obscured from the public shines through. If you look hard enough, you can see blearily that underneath his calm demeanor lies a rather _boyish_ cockiness, coupled with a desire for mischief. However, this opinion is reserved to those who knew Riku personally, because people not of close acquaintance to the young man wouldn't be able to _know_ what Riku was like.

He was just that elusive.

Riku was not only difficult to find; he's also difficult to know.

The problem is not that Riku is antisocial. No, he mingles easily, and people who meet him almost always find him amicable. The problem lies in the fact that Riku's very personal. His adroitness at changing the subject of the conversation and his evasiveness are something to be commended. It doesn't help that if he's doesn't want to found, there's really **no way** to find him. Due to this, well, special trait of his, Riku has successfully shut off most people he meets from his own closed life. It soon became common knowledge that Riku can be met in person, but nothing beyond that if he does not wish it (which was pretty much all the time).

Why this elusiveness, you ask?

Because people have become too boring. Socializing has now turned into a chore for our aspiring young programmer. Interacting with people and going out to places might've been fun at one point in life (middle school? high school?), but people have just ceased to be a strong incentive for Riku to dive and immerse himself in. Social interactions came to be. . .superficial to say at the least. Why waste time in useless outing when there's an obsession waiting for you to satisfy?

You heard it correctly.

Our fair-haired man is obsessed.

It all started with a childhood liking of fixing broken objects. But like a wild weed, his childhood interest spawned itself into a mania for complexity. Riku's taste for fixing things soon transfigured itself into a need of bettering the broken objects that came into contact with him. Somehow, just fixing things isn't enough anymore.

Years passed and Riku's childhood interest grew with him. Before long, Riku landed himself into computer science and mechanical engineering to satiate his obsession.

Since his youth, Riku's found an almost soothing effect when he gives his all to his obsession. From matters as inane as a friend's broken watch to helping his mother reprogram the city's power grid when it went out during a quake, his chain of concentration is never brittled by distractions. He liked how he can be comfortable in his own space, eyes locked onto a screen filled with commands and source codes, dexterious fingers moving rapidly in succession.

When narrowed down to the simplest of forms, it all comes down to Riku and his work.

He liked it that way.

Of course, his work yielded results.

The talk of the firm as of now, that security program incorporated by Cimmerian System in that public test? The unbreakable one for three years straight, the one that baffled all who came its way?

That was the result of the combined work of him and his colleagues back in undergraduate school.

The program itself was solid, it's content impeccable. However, he knew that it was far from being perfect.

He had hoped originally that somebody out there would be able to see its imperfections and hack it.

Because then, he would have something to work on, something to perfect and sharpen to an inexplicable level.

Despite his hopes and wishes, the first year rolled along with no news of that capable someone.

The second year passed and again, nothing.

Then the third year arrived. Without much of a bang, the dullness of nothing returned.

Whoever said that third's the charm should suffer excruciating torture, Riku thought. It's been an eternity of three years and still no one!?

And finally, the fourth year waded in.

_Eternity is not so long after all. _

To be graced by this coup de main just as he was finishing his undergraduate studies. It must be fate.

Never in Riku's wildest dreams could he have guessed what this fate will very readily throw him into.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Ho, this took some breath from me. Damn, I never thought that I would write for the KH universe. Number one, the fandom's kinda old. Number two, I played it after too long of a time. I mean, would you believe me if I told you that I had Kingdom Hearts II for that past two years, but I **never** touched it? All because I was too lazy to even play it? That's a nice excuse, isn't it? Well, I finally sat my ass down to play the game, and an idea hit me. I dubbed the idea/theme "Kaitou Sora." Sora's not a thief, and I have no intention of making him a thief. It's just that the Sora in this theme _really_ likes to unlock things, and don't thieves often mess around with locks and such? As always, I think my story will contain a bit of sci-fi elements to it, so don't be surprised if it does pop up.

And again, as always, since I _am_ a fangirl, there's going to be BL here. Maybe not in this fic per se, but the side stories will _**definitely**_ have some form of BL. Maybe even smut. I don't know.

I never know :tears:

I don't even know if I should continue this fic. Please tell me what you think through the reviews. If the reviews reflect disinterest, I won't be continuing this.


	2. Worries and Apprehension

The leaves have just begun to change its color as autumn approached the bustling city of Hollow Bastion. Amidst the people walking on the crowded streets, a man in his late teens can be seen walking leisurely on the sidewalk, head lightly swaying to a nameless tune. His azure eyes trailed after the reddening leaves that are barely hanging onto their own branches as he, dare I say, skipped across the sidewalk. A flitter there and a flutter here, the dying yet still vibrant leaves had a fleeting quaintness about them which delighted the spiky-haired teen.

The young man rounded up a corner, smiling as his eyes came to rest upon a large, fading sign.

_The Highwind_

With a toothy grin, Sora opened the door and greeted the man inside with a cheerful "Hi Cid!"

The older man grunted in response, his vision firmly occupied by the morning papers. Curious, Sora went over next to Cid to take a look, not missing his chance at grabbing the danish that was on the table. It was then that Cid looked up.

"Who the hell offered you little fucker some food?"

Sora gave an extra-toothy grin at that. "Aw, come on old man, you know you love me too much to let me go without breakfast!" Sora's choice of words only seem to worsen Cid's expression.

"For yer information, ya damn brat, don't call me old because I am not old." Cid grounded out the last two words with emphasis.

Unfortunately for Cid, Sora cheekily pointed to his brown waist-warmer, sky blue eyes holding a glint of mischievous mirth.

"Then how do you explain _this_, old man?"

Cid glared and gave his outburst of "Damnit! This thing keeps me warm without getting in my way! Wearing a waist-warmer doesn't automatically mean I'm old!" His retort made Sora laugh, throwing his arms up in mock surrender, thus ending the short conversation about Cid's waist-warmer with "whatever you say, Cid." Seemingly appeased, Cid folded the papers he was reading and glanced slyly at Sora.

"So, I heard about what you accomplished two days ago."

Quirking an eyebrow, Sora asked in surprise.

"What, about the Cimmerian System contest? Already?"

"What you did was the talk of the town for a whole day! The System's events are rather well-known; plus, they rewarded a rather hefty sum for a prize. Hehe, four hundred thousand munny! Any idea what you're gonna spend it on?"

Sora smiled, knowing what Cid was secretly referring to by bringing up the prize munny.

"Continue focusing on the CSX, of course! I still need to see if I can lessen the engine size and tweek the suspension! Although this time for sure, I'd like to keep the displacement at 599 cc. Higher displacements are too heavy to manoeuver for me."

It was Cid's turn to crack into a wide grin.

"YEAH Sora! Finally a seasoned veteran like me is getting something fun to do! God, I thought I was rotting my fuckin' bones back here!" Cid happily rejoiced. Though before long, he caught himself in his excitement and asked Sora the other question that's been nagging at his mind.

"How was that security program? Seeing as how short of a time it took you to break it, it must've been easy right? Well, you did learn from the best." Cid lazily stretched as he said those words, looking pleased with himself.

"Don't flatter yourself, Cid. It's been four years since they made the thing. It's not hard to glean information about something's that been out in use for a while. Not to mention that they designed their system off of one very common Kerckhoff's principle, and that is. . ."

* * *

". . ._the enemy knows the system." _

Leon looked up from his laptop at his longtime friend and current group mate.

"Shannon's maxim. . ."

Riku did not respond; instead, he continued twirling the pen between his fingertips, staring off into the distance. Leon gave an imperceptible smirk at his friend's behavior.

"If I didn't know any better, I would say that you're still sulking about what's happened two days ago at the event."

Riku stopped the pen twirl midway with a quick snap of his hand, eyes still focused into the distance, transfixed at nothing in particular.

_Perhaps obscurity _is _the better way. . ._

As if reading Riku's train of thought, Leon cut in swiftly. "Forget it, Riku. You know our designs were not absolutely perfect, but it was still the best way to go. Creating a security program through obscurity is already very difficult for a company that does what Cimmerian does, and under our time constraints back then it is nearly impossible."

The younger man glared at Leon. "How did you. . .?"

"You're easy to read, Riku." And that was the end of it on Leon's part.

The dimming light of the afternoon sky casted an ethereal glow to the younger man's hair as he settled back into his chair, annoyance overriding his expressionless face. Annoyance faded all too quickly for Riku, and soon his eyes began to study the man sitting across from him.

_His hair has gotten longer. . ._

Catching himself in his reverie, Riku decided to speak.

"I'm not thinking about what we should've done, Leon. I'm thinking about what wewill _do_." Leon paused in his tracks, looking back to Riku in such a way as to tell him to continue.

"We originally thought that if the key changed every so often, then the system wouldn't be jeopardized. But then, a pattern. . ."

* * *

". . .is still a pattern, regardless of what happens. Gaussian elimination is not unrecognizable, you know." Sora concluded by sipping his pineapple juice. Cid nodded in understanding, brows furrowed in concentration, his brain processing what Sora had just told him. Heh, and to think that this was the snot-nosed kid who had harassed him day and night about his "lock-opening magic tricks." Time sure flies by before you even know what's slapped you upside the head.

_Goddamn do I feel old now. . ._

Cid straightened himself up, preparing to head to the warehouse garage behind his Highwind shop, a large, open area filled with various gadgets and vehicles ready for modifications and repair.

"Now get the hell outta here, you twat! It's time for me to do my fuckin' job," Cid said, hand deftly swiping the air in a gesture to tell Sora to get out. Sora pushed himself off the counter, head cocking to one side.

"Need help?"

"As if! Now get your scrawny ass outta here! Kairi is looking for you!"

The teen appeared to perk up at this.

"Huh? She is?"

Cid pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a drag.

"She's waiting for you at the Tantal Green. Don't make her wait, she said."

After that, Cid headed towards the back, nonchalantly waving Sora off as he slowly walked away.

* * *

The Tantal Green is a café that may have looked small at first glance, but the interior is surprisingly cozy and spacious. The café itself was situated on a hill that overlooked the renowned quad of the University of Hollow Bastion, beautifully known for its Siebold's Magnolias which bloom late into the summer. Since the summer's coming to an end, the grounds of the quad and all surrounding areas are littered with the flowers' drifting white petals. Sora thought the whole place almost looked like a winter wonderland sans the snow, what with the falling whiteness adorning the sky and streets and all. Due to the magnificent view, the Tantal Green quickly became the neighborhood favorite for students and residents alike. To top everything off, the café provided delicious food too. Oddly enough, the café is always busy, but never crowded. When Sora arrived at the café Kairi was already seated at one of the tables outside, eating a light pasta salad while admiring the scene before her. Beaming, Sora slid onto the chair opposite of Kairi as he greeted her. She smiled back, his good spirits infecting her with their warmth. Sora opted to speak first, asking Kairi about the sudden Tantal Green notice.

"Anything new happening? You usually come straight to me if you wanted to meet up at some place. . ." Sora trailed off. Kairi smiled gingerly at him, deep violet eyes examining him until they settled onto the table.

"I think you can guess what this is going to be about." Kairi said, eyes still locked onto the surface of the table. Sora's face went from ponderous to exasperated.

"Is it about that contest again!?" Scratch exasperated, Sora's face is speedily going into hyper pouty mode.

Without warning, Kairi's hands shot and gripped Sora's, her gaze traveling upwards, a serious mien washing over the previous casual atmosphere.

"Sora, you're not breaking any laws, are you?" Kairi's tone was a both grave and full of worry. At hearing this, Sora's visage softened visibly into fondness. Memories from when they had dated late in their high school year flashed into his mind, memories of a sweet, childish and naïve love. Now that he thought about it, as sweet as it was, there was something lacking back then.

There's still that something lacking, even now.

Shaking himself from his reminiescence, Sora gently held onto Kairi's hands, his soft blue orbs assuaging Kairi's worries away.

"Kairi, my curiosity may get the better of me sometimes, but you know I never step beyond the bounds." Sora continued placidly, "I can guarantee that all the information I've obtained prior to the competition was open data and nothing that I did during the competition was illegal in any means."

The redhead couldn't help but release a sigh, placating her worried features with an uneasy grin.

"Well, at the least I know that one problem isn't really a problem anymore. . .for now. But Sora, _where_ will this hobby of yours will take you? I. . .I get so apprehensive everytime I think about you snooping around for things that seem like they are not supposed to be found. . . "

Sora frowned at this, twining his hands behind his head as he answered her.

"You think WAY too much, Kairi! Why be so concerned about the future when we're not even done with the present? Ya know, all that thinking and worrying will add wrinkles to your face!" Sora punctuated his last sentence by poking at Kairi's face with mock-seriousness.

Finding her humor again, Kairi swatted Sora's offending hand away, saying loudly, "I do _not_ think too much, nor do I have wrinkles!" She tried glaring at Sora, but unfortunately she couldn't hold her glare for long before another smile crept up and shone on her face.

Her words were about to leave her mouth when all of a sudden—

_Kweh? beep kweh? _

Sora and Kairi drew their eyes from each other simultaneously, resting their gaze upon a yellow, no, vibrantly golden. . .Chocobo.

A fairly small one to boot.

And it's wearing a waiter's vest, complete with what looks like a black garrison hat, a mini feather pinned on the side. (1)

_Probably its own feather_, Sora thought to himself as he lowered a hand down to pet the petit Chocobo. The Chocobo lovingly nudged his head against Sora's hand as Sora petted him.

An unknown second voice chimed in, in very rude tones. "If you're not gonna get anything else here, then scram!"

Kairi and Sora turned their gaze yet again from the Chocobo to. . .an oversized moogle.

"What are you guys looking at? If you continue to loiter here, I'm gonna mug you, you know!"

No wonder this place is never crowded.

A figure coming from inside the café appeared at the doorway, calling out "Poulet?"

Upon a closer look, said figure turned out to be a girl, most likely in her mid-teens. She had shoulder-length magenta hair, the top layer fastened behind her head in a white string with orange crystals at the end. The girl stood out against the crowd, mainly because she was decked out in almost all white. Her white turtleneck had sleeves tipped with red, jagged patterns. The same could be said about her pants.

The Chocobo waddly ran to the young girl after it heard its name being called. She came over to Sora and Kairi's table, noticing the presence of Mog. She eyed the moogle suspiciously.

"Mog, have you been harassing people again?"

The moogle shuffled uncomfortably, then in a blur flew off into the café.

The girl puffed in frustration before she turned back to Sora and Kairi.

"Hello, my name is Shiroma, owner of Tantal Green. I humbly apologize for any misdemeanors on Mog's part." Shiroma bowed cordially, eyes widening when she recognized Kairi.

"You're regular here, aren't you? Kairi, right? Thank you very much for the patronage! You helped me carry my crates last time you were here too! Thank you so much!" Shiroma bowed again, and this time, Poulet bowed along with her. Kairi held out her hands, trying to keep the girl from doing another one of her 90° bow, not used to this politeness.

Out of nowhere, Sora raised the question that's been tugging at his mind for a while.

"Uuum. . .why is this Chocobo here wearing a waiter's uniform?"

Shiroma laughed, "Oh, Poulet's been wanting to help me with the café for some time. At first I didn't want him to, but I guess there's no way that I could ever say no to him. So I made him an outfit to go along with his work. Since he always salutes people after taking orders, I started joking around with him and made him a garrison hat to compliment his uniform." Shiroma eyed Poulet affectionately as she scratched him.

They chatted until Shiroma noticed that Mog's bothering other people once more. It appeared as if he's threatening someone, his puffball antenna fluffing out in front of him, twitching violently. Shiroma hurriedly bid Kairi and Sora farewell, running in Mog's direction to stop him.

Sora and Kairi giggled as they watched the ensuing chaos. Shifting her attention back to Sora, Kairi spoke.

"You still got some free time on your hands, Sora. School doesn't start for you until next week, so is there anything you plan on doing?"

The hyperactive teen broke out into a face-splitting grin, jutting his index finger out towards the sky in a comical pose.

"To the Space Paranoids!"

* * *

**Author's Note**:

Shiroma and Poulet! Anyone remember them? "Poulet" (pronounced "Pou-lée") was the name of the main Chocobo back in the first _Chocobo no Fushingina Danjiyon_. His name later changed back to just "Chocobo" in the second Chocobo no Fushingina Danjiyon. Although in the _Chocobo Collection_, his name went to his FFV's incarnation, "Boco." Aah, I still remember playing the first Choco Dungeon when I was in third grade. I LOVED it. Shiroma is the white mage from the second Choco Dungeon. I think they would make a great pair of characters in a fic, so I had to use them (plus, out of all the fics I've read, NO ONE has ever used them. WHY!?).

I know there's a whole bunch of jargon used in this chapter, and I apologize for it. There's really no way around this, since Sora and Riku _are_ kind of involved in the computer science field, you know? The pace is also slow, I've noticed, but I promise it'll pick up soon! This is the intro afterall!

(1) A garrison hat is what they wear in the navy. You know, those hats that look like toy paper boats if you put them on water?

Please review and tell me about what you think!


	3. Chance Remembering

Hollow Bastion, being the large metropolitan center that it is, never finds itself lacking in any category of urban design. Convenience, entertainment, night life, or the quiet solitude—all concerns were factored into the planning and growth of the city. This cosmopolitan mostrosity is rivaled only by three others: Twilight Town, Traverse Town, and finally, Radiant Garden. Together, they are known as the _Paradise Four_ of world-class cities.

Heavenly elites indeed, for they are unparalleled cultural centers of technological advancements, knowledge and pleasurable recreations. That is, they are unparalleled when in comparison with other cities.

But amongst each other?

Fierce contention would be an understatement. Each of the four cities strives for the top, always improving and expanding upon whatever they have; every one of them vying for new residents to call one of their own. The competition for supremacy has led to chains and chains of restaurants, cafés, bookstores, markets, etc. pushing themselves to the limit. Some are even operating night and day without fail, perfect services 24/7. Despite this constant push yielding the same results, each city managed to retain its own flavor, an atmosphere that can't be emulated elsewhere. The rest is up for the people to choose which suits their taste the most.

However, even though all four cities are supposedly on equal grounds, Hollow Bastion undoubtedly takes the lead in providing entertainment. Since Hollow Bastion has the largest population of sleeplessly active youths seeking adventure everywhere, it went the extra mile in giving what the youths demand.

One of them being Space Paranoids.

Have you ever been to an extensively enormous arcade?

Space Paranoids is all that and more.

Originally built as a cybernetic arena, the later addendums were created to supplement the already eye-popping quality of the overall "arcade," catering to people of all ages.

The "cybernetic arena," the original of Space Paranoids, was a simulation area of sorts. The arena could produce a virtual racing ground, granting the perfect backdrop for users searching for an exhilarating bike race. Mock battles were also possible, and users can formulate their own characters in order to participate. The later addendums of Space Paranoids were modeled after traditional arcades, since the simulation games did not appeal to everyone. Fighting games, DDR, Beatmanias, TaTacons and every other type of games imaginable lined the circular halls of Space Paranoids. There are a total of thirteen floors, with the lower core being the cybernetic arena and the upper core being the traditional arcade. The level between them serves as a resting place for tired gamers to take five and just socialize.

The whole place was blaring with different sounds and music when Sora entered. All the lights the arena and the arcade gave off made the inside of Space Paranoids resemble a disco on crack during a crazy Friday night. If you were epileptic, you would surely double over with more than one seizure hitting you all at once.

Sora's entrance was greeted by none other than yours truly, the blue-tinged holographic AI named Tron. From the corner opposite of the entryway, the Master AI halted his routine area inspection in order to greet Sora.

"Hey, Sora! Long time no see, old pal! How you've been?" Tron approached in a lambent haze of dark blue, his tint still visible against all the complimentary colors that contradicted him in the background. Sora brightened, almost reaching out to give the AI the signature Sora Bear Hug™. Fortunately, he caught himself midway, saving himself from the embarrassment that would follow.

_Ooops, I keep on forgetting! _

Unfortunately for Sora, Tron also caught his little slip-up and laughed. Crossing his arms across his chest, Sora huffed.

"Well, excuse me for getting confused sometimes. For an AI, you make a pretty convincing person."

"I'll take that as a compliment, because I am programmed to be as humanly as possible." chuckled Tron. The blue hologram stepped back into a pose that could almost be described as casual and complacent if not for the fact that he's just a visual projection of the Space Paranoids' maintenance system. Sora could've swore that Tron's expression was affectionate when he spoke.

"Still the same old same old, huh? Nothing new in your life lately, my friend?" The brunette clasped his hands behind his head, body tilting to the side as he answered.

"Nothing really. Won some munny and met up with a worried Kairi, you know, the usual," drawled Sora.

"She didn't come with?" Tron inquired when he didn't spot the redhead anywhere. Sora scrunched his nose, saying "you know how she is" before proceeding to do an imitation of Kairi, overdramatically shaking his head and sighing in a manner Kairi would do sometimes as an adjunct to her words of "_boys will be boys."_

Tron laughed at Sora's poor attempt at copying Kairi. It was at times like these that Sora couldn't help but feel that Tron was _real,_ AI or not. As their laughter abated, our cheerful brunet noticed the unusual amount of activity in the Pit Cell. Tron caught Sora's line of sight and immediately began to explain.

"They're holding one of their bi-weekly events there down in the Pit Cell. It's a wholly new activity, suggested by our most recent addition to the Space Paranoids' staff."

The Pit Cell was a semi-enclosed region down on the lowest level of the lower core, floor B3. The lobby, where Sora is located right now, is the third level of the lower core, floor 1. Eyeing Sora, Tron gestured with his head, telling Sora to go and check it out.

Sora grinned and in a flash, he was on the incandescent, neon blue lift, heading downwards to B3. When the doors slid open, Sora couldn't believe his eyes. In the short span of his absence, the entire ground floor was redone, the cybernetic station booths that had littered the place gone, replaced by what appears to be a large stage. Hot pink, green, blue, yellow, red, and any color you can find on a spectrum flashed everywhere. A booming voice blasted through the hordes of people gathered at the center stage. Sora shoved his way through, uttering an occasional "sorry" or "excuse me" along the way.

And there it stood.

A cat. With a megaphone.

On a _huge_, hulking, fat leviathan of a thing that resembled a moogle.

Maybe it is one. Sora couldn't really think as his breath escaped him, his eyes wide with wonder.

_Ladies and gentlmen! Welcome! Welcome to the new and improved Space Paranoids Pit Cell! And I, Cait Sith, will be your new host for this evening! _

The cat, or Cait Sith as it refered to itself, jumped and flipped as it yelled through its megaphone.

_As most of you know, as of last month, Space Paranoids began its bi-weekly Light Cycle Premiere Road Race! However, it seems that today we already have an undisputed champ here prior to the start of this event today! _

'Wait, did that cat just say Light Cycle? This could be the perfect practice for me! I haven't biked in a while anyway.' Sora thought, remembering that his CSX is still back at the Highwind.

_Are there any contenders who would like to step up?_

A few people stepped forward, Sora being one of them.

_Alrrriight! We got a couple of challengers here! Let's zap 'em up! _

With a blink of an eye, shinning, thin, yellow beams of pin-point accuracy shot out from all corners, if the circular Space Paranoids could be defined as having corners. One hit Sora directly on the chest, easing Sora into a jumble of pixels dissipating into the air in a matter of seconds. When the pixels restructured themselves into Sora, he was in the world of Light Cycle, an open, gridded complex surrounding him and his fellow riders. Turning his head, the spiky-haired teen saw that there was already someone out in the front of everyone. Poised over his virtual bike, face partially covered by the visor of his helmet; he definitely exuded an aura that told all of his confidence. An image of a mini Cait Sith soon popped into the sky, its hands holding what seemed to be the race lights. Sora readied himself, mentally counting down the passing time.

_Red. . ._

_Yellow. . ._

Sora slowly grasped the clutch in, disengaging the engine and preparing the grip in his right hand for the throttle.

_Green! _

The riders propelled themselves forward with such ferocity as to match professional race cars—5 mph to 60 within five seconds, their surroundings fading into a blur as they sped past every blue grid beneath them.

Suddenly, just as how all the riders broke out at breakneck speed, panes and panes of silvery plumes solidified, like wispy light dancing in the air. And just like that, these wisps heralded the unexpected protrusion of a wall.

What was once open space is now occupied by a tall and very concrete obstacle blocking the path.

Sora adroitly swerved to the left, clamping down both the rear and front brakes before easing out and increasing speed, upshifting a gear as he did so. Evading the wall completely, Sora rode off, though the resounding bangs which followed him informed him that some other riders were not so lucky.

There were a total of ten riders; with two out, there are now a total of eight.

Sora was in the fourth out of the eight.

That same person whom Sora observed earlier was still in the lead, veering skillfully from side to side as he dodged the sudden obstructions. Judging by the way they rode, the two riders behind him could barely keep up with his maneuvers.

Upshifting again, Sora gripped the throttle towards him ever so slightly, gaining speed gradually by increments after avoiding the most recent wall that came his way. Another wall soon materialized, accompanied by two silver octahedron blocks. The spunky brunet barely skirted the abrupt hurdle, evading to the narrow space between the two blocks as the two riders ahead of him crashed right into the giant octahedrons.

Sora now came in second.

Weary of new surprises, Sora chose to bide his time instead of pulling down onto the throttle and zoning in on the lead. Series and series of walls and polyhedron blocks emerged, with the man in lead bypassing them expertly, Sora following close behind. Not long afterwards, moving roadblocks revealed themselves, as if the walls and polyhedrons weren't aggravating enough already. Sora growled to himself in annoyance, but thankfully, the end was in sight. The ray of sakura pink hovered in the distance, signifying the finish line.

_Now!_

Sora clamped down on the throttle, dipping himself forward, streamlining his body to the bike. The boost of his velocity pushed him right next to the leading man, racing head to head for the finish line.

Within an instant and a flicker of the eye—it was all over.

Sora stood, not where he was standing earlier to the start of the Light Cycle, but on the center stage, hundreds of pairs of eyes watching him. In front of him was Cait Sith, and sensing someone right next to him, Sora turned.

He was met by twin orbs of a searing, verdant green, boring into him with such intensity that Sora gulped. Stepping further back, the disconcerted teen took a better look at the man. His hair was that of vivid scarlet, flaring out in spikes as to mimic the sanguinary fires of an inferno. Small, diamond-shaped tattoos marked the skin on his cheeks, with a small slither of black at the corners of his eyes, highlighting its fierceness even more. His upper body was adorned with a black sports coat, and underneath it a crimson shirt decorated with an upright Daiitokumyou-Ou outlined in sooty darkness, its ebony flames spreading across the shirt. (1) His lower body consisted of an army green cargo pants, complete with black and white-skulled skate shoes.

Sora's mind did a _whoa_ as his eyes transferred the visual information to the brain. No doubt about it, every quality about this man screamed _look at me!_ Unsettling as the man may seem to be, he was also eerily alluring, and Sora for the life of himself couldn't understand why. The said stranger unexpectedly shifted a step closer, slowly raising a hand, the corner of his mouth quirking into a slight smirk as he did so. There was an unidentifiable gleam to his eyes, but Sora's instincts were not dull enough to forgo the almost _predatory_ feel about this man. Despite instincts telling him to do otherwise, Sora greeted the offered hand firmly, putting on a sunny smile all the while. In front of them trumpeted Cait Sith, raucously shouting through his megaphone the outcome of the race.

_Wow, what an unbelievable race, ladies and gentlemen! We got ourselves a tie here! Two winners! I guess there goes our three months of free meals at Space Paranoids' delightful Solar Sailer along with a gift of our winning user's choice, yet this time, for two instead of one!_

Roaring cheers erupted throughout the Pit Cell, making Sora uncomfortable with all the attention he's getting.

"Come on, let's go. I'm getting hungry." said the green-eyed stranger, pulling Sora along with him without much of a preamble. Sora spluttered, muttering a "whut?" at the impromptu action. The seemingly older man fended both himself and Sora from the wild crowd as they headed off the platform, ignoring all who flocked their way. They proceeded to the Null Floor, also known as the users' resting zone, floor 3. A large food court known as the Solar Sailer dominated the majority of the floor room.

Coming to a halt, the redhead turned to Sora, asking him what'd he want. Not used to situations like these, Sora opened his mouth to voice his refusal only to be cut off by the stranger's outburst of "You know what, I feel like getting takoyaki today." He then dragged Sora to the takoyaki stand, ordered a boat of takoyaki, and as an afterthought, ordered a sea salt ice cream too. Sora frowned, resigned that he couldn't stop the unknown stranger in any way, but dug around in his pockets for his wallet, figuring that he could still repay what he now owed. A hand holding the sea salt ice cream shot out, shoving the wrapped ice cream to Sora's chest, jolting Sora from his mind. The redhead smirked again.

"Just take it."

Sora took the ice cream dumbly in his hands as the redhead grabbed his takoyaki, freshly hot with steam rising steadily from it, making the katsuobushi on the food flutter as if alive. (2) One hand holding the takoyaki boat-tray, the taller man deftly shot out his hand again to pull Sora along by the wrist. Going to the nearest table, the red haired man took one seat while Sora took the other. After settling down, the man took a strand of his takoyaki and took a bite, concentrating solely on his food, not even bothered by Sora's meek glance at his face. Sighing, Sora opened the wrapper and nibbled on the sea salt ice cream, savoring the salty sweet treat. He's always liked the odd snack, its strange mixture of light saltiness and sweetness reminiscent of the old days back in Twilight Town.

So preoccupied was Sora with his sea salt ice cream that it took him a while to see that the stranger was staring at him. Feeling self-conscious, Sora lowered his gaze to the table, lips forming a cute pout as he muttered the words "is there something on my face?" The stranger blinked, shaking himself from his reverie. His eyes almost looked. . ._melancholy_ as they turned back to Sora.

"I'm sorry," he said, tone so low it was almost like a whisper. "You. . .you look so much like this person I know. If it wasn't for the hair, I. . .I honestly thought you were him. You even like to eat the same thing he liked to eat. . ." the stranger made a motion, gesturing towards the sea salt ice cream in Sora's hand.

A sudden unexplainable tenseness overtook Sora.

Have you ever had a precious memory, a memory so cherished that just the thought of it makes you giddy with warmth? You know the memory, you treasure the memory; but no matter how much you treasure it, your appreciation of that memory doesn't stop the workings of time. Each transient passing of seconds fades it from your mind's vision, slipping it from your grasp. You may recognize the shell, but you can't seem to find the content. Some say that memories are never forgotten; people just don't remember them. Those unforgotten yet dormant recollections, sinking into the sea of our minds, drifting further and further away into the abyss of our psyche. What's to become of the person who tries to salvage his or her lost memory?

Sora could very well be experiencing such a process as a bizarre sensation spread through him. At first it crept up like a vine from all over, pace tortuously slow. Then the feeling affixed itself, ever so torpidly until it just _clicked_ and _locked_ itself onto Sora. Waves and waves of longing and nostalgia and, and god knows _what else_—there were just indiscernible emotions there. Cool relief washed through Sora, for he could identify the longing, knowing that this familiar feeling is leading him somewhere. Yet where is it leading _to_ is still hazy and very unclear. The emotions were so _ephemeral _that Sora worried if he could solve the puzzle before it left him, causing hot panic to well up, alarming the brunet. Hot and cold, hot and cold, an endless return to the one and the same. Sora only had a moment of time to feel it, but in that moment, those emotions felt like an eternity.

_Just what am I trying to remember?_

". . . Are you alright?"

"Huh?" Sora snapped his head up, hearing but not really listening to the words that just came from the stranger's mouth.

"I said, are you alright?" the man reiterated.

"Y-yeah. I don't know what came over me." Sora said as he lifted his thumb to swipe at the trickle of tear that almost collected itself in the corner of his cerulean eye. Shaking his head to clear the onslaught of the mysterious sensation, Sora smiled and held out his hand.

"I don't think we've introduced ourselves to each other yet. It's be wrong for me to take some sea salt ice cream from you without even knowing your name." The other man paused temporarily before taking the proffered hand into his own, a smirk on his face as he held it firmly.

"Don't worry, you're not a little boy anymore. Mommy doesn't have to worry about you getting abducted by some stranger and have unspeakable horrors done to you. I'm not luring you in with the promise of sweets."

Sora pursed his lips, brows morphing into a frown.

"You know, you have a bad sense of humor." Sora said poutingly.

The taller man chuckled, that curious gleam returning to his eyes again.

"Kyouen. My name, that is."

"Kyouen as in. . .?" Sora asked, furrowing his brows in thought.

"The kyou of 'berserk' and en, well, the en of 'flames.'"

Sora's eyes brightened as he animatedly peered at "Kyouen," shaking his hand repeatedly.

"That's a cool name! It suits your looks too. Well, now that I know you, my name's Sora! Tennouji Sora!" Sora's grin couldn't be any sunnier; it's on the verge of being blinding.

"Are you always this cheerful?" Kyouen asked Sora with a mock scowl upon his features, a hand raised dramatically to shield his eyes from Sora's grin.

"Hey! What's wrong with being happy?" Sora defended.

"Haha, I wasn't trying to attack you, no need to get defensive there." Kyouen replied, forearms up in the "I surrender" position.

"So, Sora, do you ride often? You were pretty good back there." Kyouen asked, quirking a brow as he bit down onto another takoyaki. Smile back in full force, Sora began to tell the man all about his time riding. The man exchanged a couple of his own riding stories here and there, the two engaged in conversing about anything and nothing at the same time. And somewhere along the line, Sora's little "hobby" was mentioned.

"Kyouen" reclined into his seat, a knowing smirk gracing his countenance as he examined Sora. "No wonder your name sounded familiar! You won that contest, didn't you?" Kyouen stated cheekily, right index finger waving pointedly in Sora's direction as if to emphasize his words.

"It's really not that big of a deal," Sora uttered darkly, biting down onto the ice cream stick, his sea salt ice cream long since gone. "It's only been two days, and you're already the third person to bombard me about this _again_ today." Sora sulked as he continued to chew his ice cream stick, not liking how people seemed to care about this inane matter so much.

"Relax, Sora, because I'm not bringing this up to gawk at you or anything like that." That predatory air from moments ago reappeared, bringing Sora's discomfort back with it.

"I have a proposition, Sora. No, a challenge," said the redheaded man in a very assured voice. "You may have bested the System's program, but I'm pretty sure you won't be able to break what I'm about to tell you."

Curiosity getting the better of him, Sora's eyes lit up.

Giving a smirk of his own, Sora countered Kyouen's challenge with a simple "try me."

Instincts may have told Sora otherwise, but curiosity proved to be a heavy veil.

Sora completely missed the darkness behind the redhead's ominous smile.

_The bait's been set._

* * *

In the late afternoon breeze of Hollow Bastion, a man with flaming spiky hair can be seen exiting the large entrance of Space Paranoids. Hair swaying in the mild breeze, he lit up a cigarette before shoving his hands down his pockets and descended the stairs. The smoke from his cigarette swirled and twirled, dancing like a nobody in the wind. . .

He puffed out a drag from his cigarette, eyes coming to a rest on a blond figure leaning against a black car. Eyes obscured by dark sunglasses, the blond looked on in the redhead's direction. Sadly, the redhead knew better.

_He's not looking at me. He's looking _past_ me. _

Eyes sliding close in submission, the red haired man briskly walked the rest of the short distance between him and the blond.

Coming to a stop right by the blond, the redhead removed the cig from his lips, puffing out some smoke as he did so.

"We got him," he said plainly.

The blond didn't give any indication of having understood his words, but the redhead was sure he got the message.

The redhead took another puff before stomping out his cigarette.

He was about to head over to the driver's seat when a hand gripped onto his arm, painfully tight.

"Axel," the blond was still staring off to the distance of Space Paranoids.

He wasn't looking at Axel.

"Don't you hurt him."

Those words. . .they came out neither as a demand or an order. They just were.

Axel closed his eyes again.

"Of course not."

The hand gripping his arm became lax, falling, retreating. . .

But this time, Axel's hand shot out, grabbing onto it.

"Roxas. . .Are you sure?" Axel questioned, eyes clouding over with something unfamiliar to himself.

And this time, Roxas chanced a glance at him, straight to the eyes.

"Drive."

And both of them got into the car, Roxas without a second glance at Axel, Axel without a second word. Pulling from the curb, the black car drove off.

Yet the breeze kept on, sweeping the nearby yellow camellias to the skies, their petals wandering with the wind.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Was that confusing? I hope not. Oh, and yes, "Kyouen" _is_ Axel. "Kyouen" would be the alias of Axel early on in this fic. I derived Kyouen ("狂焔") from his fancy Japanese title "おどる火の風" (wind, or breeze of dancing fire). Well, it's not a literal derivation, but more of a more fanciful twist of making "おどる火の風" to "風火狂焔" (meaning "gale-fire-crazy-flame"—pronounced Fuuka Kyouen? I'm picking the Japanese _on_ pronounciation here, because that's the one which sounds the most right. If I'm wrong, please correct me). The kyou here means "crazy, uncontrolled, berserk" and the en in this case is the second word for "fire," often used in conjunction with the word "火." So yeah, there you go! Crazy, uncontrollable flame! Isn't that Axel?

Oh, and on with the explanations!

(1) _Daiitokumyou-Ou_ : One of the five Wisdom Kings of Buddhism. His Indian name is Yamantaka, Shinjeshe in Tibetan, Daiitokumyou-Ou in Japanese and Da Wei De Ming Wong in Chinese. He is the wrathful manisfestation of Monjubosatsu, so subsequently, he has the trademark angry face and fiery flames about him featured in the various East Asian and Southeast Asian paintings and statues. Besides being the wrathful manifestation of Monjubosatsu, he is the "slayer of death." I pulled out my reference book and picked Daiitokumyou-Ou out on a whim, because I just needed a fiery figure to represent Axel, and almost all the Wisdom Kings have fire about them. But Daiitokumyou-Ou is rather fitting, no? Hmmm, I wonder? Slayer of death. . .

(2) _Katsuobushi_ : It's basically those fried bonito thingys that you see on Japanese rice bowls, salads, and grilled items. They're quite tasty!

Takoyaki(s) are basically cooked octopuses in these round balls, seasoned with teriyaki sauce and mayonnaise. I FUCKIN' LOVE THEM (oh I miss them so damn much).

A lot things in this fic will be based off of very Asian stuff. Because whaddya know, I grew up there. Though most of my adolescent life was spent in the US, I hope that one day I can return (because I'm really not used to living here, despite being American. Hey, I was born here, but not raised here, so you know how some people can get sometimes.) If you're reading this, expect a colorful array of references to Asian philosophies, culture, and etc. I'm mixing a few Western elements as well.

I hope I'm not biting off more than I can chew with this fic. . .

Also, **Kanarah J**, **thank you** for the review! Really! As the first reviewer, your review really meant a lot to me. I hope this fic is to your liking!

P.P.S - I feel that I have the need to put this out there, just to let people know. I decided to use some of the words here in Japanese because there are some items that just don't translate well into English. I could very well just put in "Axel" instead of "Kyouen," but that defeats the purpose of me building up the story. I could very well have given Axel an alternative English title, but he already has one in Japanese. Since I want to stay true to the original, I chose to stick with the Japanese title (albeit a bit modified). I know that there are some readers out there who finds rampant use of Japanese in English fanfics distasteful (hell, I'm one of those readers), but I could find no way around it for this story. All I could say is this: bear with me here.


End file.
